Nostalgia
by Petaxei
Summary: Glee seniors graduate. Cut to thirteen years later - Santana Lopez comes back to Lima, OH for their high school reunion. Old memories reappear, old feelings resurface.
1. Homecoming

**Lima, OH – 2025**

The doors of the Lima Bean once again opened as Santana Lopez came in with a nervous look on her face.

She scanned the place, looking for someone she knew, and sighed with relief after realizing there was no one who could recognize her from the past. She sat on her usual chair, the small sofa in the middle of the café, took a magazine, and started reading while inhaling the scent of the once-familiar coffee shop.

It had been years since she last set foot in the Lima Bean… years since she last set foot in Lima actually. After graduating from William McKinley High School, she moved out to New York and started a new life there as a law student in Columbia University. As she continued to become a successful lawyer, she grew more and more distant from her high school friends, and eventually lost contact with them.

One day, though, she received a text from Quinn Fabray.

_"April 12, WMHS Gym. High school reunion. BE THERE. We miss you."_

It wasn't like she hated her high school years; it was one of her best years actually. She just got too caught up with all the law books and exams she had to take to get this far in her career. She didn't have time for nights out with friends, for drinking sessions, and even for just simple walks in the park. For Santana Lopez, time was too fast, and she had to run just to catch it.

But one thing she always had in mind was her days at McKinley. When she couldn't sleep, she went back to those moments when she gave millions of names for Finn Hudson, all of them not pleasing. To those moments when she led the Cheerios to victory dozens of times, alongside Becky, of course. To those moments when she felt at home with the weird kids at Glee Club. To those moments... those special moments... with _her_.

And so here she was, sitting in her spot at the Lima Bean thirteen years later.

"Santana? Santana Lopez?"

She looked up from the article she was reading, something about annoying things people do at work.

"So you did show up."

She smiled her high school-Santana smile, looking at the brown eyes of the blonde. "Hey, Preggers."

"Not much has changed, huh?" Quinn smirked at the brunette's greeting. "So, what made you come back after disappearing so fast? Am I still really that good at persuading people?" the blonde laughed.

"Don't flatter yourself. Even if it was the hobbit who texted, I would still go to this stupid reunion." the brunette said, both of them drifting their thoughts to another brown-eyed brunette, much shorter than Santana.

Quinn laughed again. _Same old Santana._ "So anyway, do you have plans for tonight? Rachel and I are inviting some of our friends for dinner. You know, the usual hungry pack – Puck, Sam, Artie. Kurt and Blaine will be there too, as well as Britt—"

Santana flinched slightly at the last name. "I've got plans. I just got back and my parents must be dying to see me." the brunette laughed nervously. "Well, I really have to go, I still have to unpack my stuff. See you at the 12th"?

"Yeah, be there." Quinn nodded.

Santana quickly grabbed her bag and rushed to the door, but before she could leave, Quinn called back.

"Hey, Lopez!"

"Yeah?"

"Be there. She misses you."


	2. By Chance

_Where are those damn corn flakes? _Santana Lopez thought while furiously searching the grocery store for some cereals.

"Found it!" She happily exclaimed, running to get the last cereal box on the shelf. While walking back to the counter, memories flashed through her mind suddenly. Memories about walking through the different grocery sections, trying to find a certain blue-eyed blonde who ran away looking for a hiding place she thinks Santana wouldn't check. Memories about buying lots of cereals for the blonde to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Memories about the blonde being so confused with breakfast. Memories about—

"Shit!" Santana Lopez shouted, dropping the cereal box she had been hugging so tightly.

"I'm so sorry! I... I wasn't looking and I…" the shorter brunette trailed off, now getting a look at the girl she bumped into. "Santana?"

"Hobbit."

Rachel Berry quickly hugged the taller brunette "Santana Lopez! I never thought I would see you again! How have you been?"

"Same. Kicking ass in court. How about you, Berry? Still with that whale Hudson?" Santana scoffed, not noticing the blonde who was walking towards them.

"She's not with Finn anymore." Quinn smiled at Santana, grabbing Rachel's hand.

"You have the cookies?" the shorter brunette asked the blonde.

"Yes, my lady." Rachel laughed at her wife's response.

"You.. You two? How?" Santana asked, wide-eyed. The last time she talked to Quinn, all she knew was that she was also moving to New York. There weren't any news about a certain brunette going with her.

"You really need to catch up with your friends more, Lopez." Quinn let out a laugh, grabbing Rachel's waist and kissing her forehead. Santana stood there, processing what she had just seen. _Not what I had been expecting for today, _Santana thought to herself.

"So.. You're both living in New York?" Santana asked. She wanted to ask a lot more questions, realizing how little she knew about her friends, but she knew that the grocery store wasn't really the place for catching up.

"Yeah, you know Rachel, Broadway is her life. Meanwhile, I studied in Yale, then got a job in New York. We were both too busy with our new lives, and I think that was the last time we," Quinn pointed to Santana and herself, "talked on the phone." Santana nodded in agreement, clearly remembering their conversation years ago, "and then I ran into Rachel, and that was the start of it." Quinn answered, kissing Rachel in the forehead once more.

"Wow." was all Santana could say. Rachel giggled at the other brunette's reaction. It was one of those rare moments when she saw Santana speechless.

"Hey, Rachel! Here's the milk you asked me to look for. I know it's not the exact brand you wanted, but it's almost—" the blue-eyed blonde stopped, looking at the scene she had just walked into. Santana, still with a shocked look on her face, grew even more wide-eyed at the sight of the tall blonde in front of her. _Not what I had been expecting at all._

"Brittany! Great timing! I just ran into Santana while looking for your favourite cereal." Rachel smiled her Broadway-smile to her friend. Quinn, on instinct, nudged her wife's elbow, slightly shaking her head in the process.

"Here. It's the last box, and I'm not in the mood for grocery shopping anymore." Santana nervously chuckled while handing the box over to the shorter brunette. Rachel couldn't help but smile at the thought of Santana giving up something for Brittany, even if it was as petty as a cereal box. It felt like high school again.

"Hey, San." Brittany greeted Santana with a small smile.

"Hi." Santana greeted back, looking at anywhere but the blonde's sparkling blue eyes. _She used my nickname. I missed that. _Brittany finally caught Santana's eyes, and for a moment, they just stood there looking at each other. The brunette couldn't help but let out a small smile, but immediately tried to hide it, hoping the blonde didn't see it.

After a long moment of awkward silence, Santana finally spoke up. "Well, guys," Santana said, clapping her hands two times while faking a smile, "as much as I want to stay and see you," she looked at Quinn, "and you," at Rachel, "gets your mack on, I needs to go to Breadstix for a family get-together." She glanced at Brittany, who was still staring at her, "it was nice seeing all of you."

Without waiting for a response, she quickly walked away from the trio. Once she exited the building, she sat on a bench and took a deep breath.

_Not yet. Not today. _Santana sighed.

* * *

><p>"She hasn't changed that much." Quinn smiled, remembering all the moments she shared with the brunette. The names, the smile, even the language - Santana Lopez was still Santana Lopez.<p>

"Yeah, she still hasn't let go of those mean nicknames she used to call me during our high school days." Rachel dramatically sighed, looking at Quinn who was suppressing a laugh.

"I bet she's going to use all those names when we see her at the reunion on Saturday." Quinn winked while Rachel frowned at the thought. "Well, I hope she has grown up a lot, right Britt?" Rachel faced the blonde, who was still staring blankly into space after their encounter with the brown-eyed lawyer. Brittany realized that Rachel was now talking to her, so she shook her head slightly, hoping thoughts of Santana would go away.

"She's coming?" Brittany finally spoke up since Santana left, ignoring Rachel's question. She still wasn't completely back to reality after the short reunion with the brunette.

"Yeah, she came to Lima just to attend our reunion. You're coming, right?" Quinn looked at Brittany expectantly. She knew this was hard on both of them, but she also knew this could help both of them to.. _What? _She didn't know.

"Uhh... yeah, sure… of course." The blue-eyed blonde replied.

"That's great! And you're going to attend the after-party too, okay? We Glee 'kids' are going to have a mini-reunion of our own at the auditorium. Planned of course by your leader, yours truly!" Rachel excitedly explained. Rachel Berry let go of a lot of things ever since she graduated from William McKinley, but she never did let go of that memory, that club. It was her family, and it was the only best thing that happened to her in high school, besides meeting Quinn Fabray, of course.

"Okay."

"Yay!" Rachel clapped, "Now we just have to convince Santana to come with us for the after-party, and the New Directions will be complete!" Quinn smiled adoringly at her over-excited wife.

"Well, anyway, I better pay for this." Changing the subject, Brittany took the cereal box from Rachel, laughing nervously.

"Are you okay, Britt Britt?" Quinn suddenly asked with concerned eyes.

"Yeah, of course I am!" the taller blonde smiled, not her usual higher-than-the-sky smile. "I have to go, though. Is it alright? I forgot that I have to pick up the laundry today."

"Sure. Drive safely, okay?" Rachel said, hugging the tall blonde while sensing that there was something going on in Brittany's head.

"Yeah, bye guys! Take care!" Brittany waved back at the couple while going to the door.

Rachel waved once more at the retreating blonde. "Do you think she's okay? Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Honestly.. I don't know." Quinn replied while taking a hold of her wife. "Let's go get those sausages you wanted, honey."

Meanwhile, Brittany went to her car, opened the door, and sat there for a few minutes. Santana Lopez was here, and she saw her in the grocery store. Thirteen years have passed, but it didn't seem that long. It was like she just went away for a vacation, and she's finally back. But things feel.. _different. _Something was wrong, and Brittany knew it. She shook her head, trying to get away from her thoughts, and started the car.

_She's here. Santana Lopez is back._ Brittany sighed.


	3. Happy Accidents

It was another great morning in Lima. The sun was still rising, but a lot of people were already up and ready to face the day. The streets were starting to become busy, the shops have begun to be filled up by customers, and the dogs were already barking very loudly. Nothing much has actually changed since the brunette first left the place. Santana Lopez felt like she didn't even leave her hometown.

As she was jogging on the streets of Lima, passing by different shops selling antiques, petite restaurants that serve a variety of meals, and the very famous Lima Bean, she couldn't help but reminisce once more about her past life. She remembered those times when she would hang out a bit with Kurt, Rachel, Mercedes, and the other Glee kids after school and relax on the best and only coffee shop in Lima. She recalled that moment when Kurt had convinced her to dance together with strangers in a mall just to talk Rachel out of having a nose job. She remembered all those kids she slushied just because she was the "top dog" in the school; she remembered the first time she ever got slushied because she became one of the Glee losers. But most of all, she had never forgotten about all those memories with one Brittany Susan Pierce... not to mention their very first official date at Breadstix.

She ordered shrimp, after all.

Santana laughed at the thought of that date. She suddenly realized how ridiculous she must have looked putting that napkin on top of their entwined hands, afraid someone might recognize them from school and spread the news the next day. She even remembered Brittany saying "Well, I told you last year that if I'm single and you're single that we'd mingle." after Santana expressed how happy she felt about them being together. Santana chuckled once more at the memory, earning confused looks from strangers passing by her. She didn't notice anyway; her thoughts were focused on a certain blonde that she didn't care about anything else but the girl.

She had just passed by one of the oldest bookstores in Lima when a blonde suddenly looked up from her book. She was seated inside by the window, reading_ Moby Dick_; she may not seem like the type who liked to read, but she has a soft spot for classics. She was so engrossed in the novel that her cup of coffee just became one untouched cold liquid, but when the Latina passed by, she immediately looked up from what she was reading, feeling some sort of magnet bringing her eyes up to see the brunette.

It was Santana. The other day they had just bumped into each other at the grocery, and they didn't even have a decent conversation. Since that moment, though, the blonde never really got the brunette out of her mind. She couldn't sleep as well as before, thinking about the girl who was lying next to her when she was in high school. She didn't eat that much cereal like before, remembering the person who gave her that last box.

She wasn't really in the mood for talking with anyone at that moment, most especially someone who walked away from her life and just suddenly returned thirteen years later. But against her own will, her feet touched the floor and dragged her outside, leaving her coffee and book on the table. She got out of the bookstore, and looked around to see where the brunette had gone. After what felt like minutes of searching, Brittany finally spotted Santana sitting at a bench in the park with her back turned. She smiled. Lots of memories went through her mind about their days at that park - walking hand in hand, sitting beside a tree, and feeding the ducks. She then decided she would mention those fun moments to Santana as part of some sort of reminiscing once she had thought about how to approach her and "introduce" herself once again.

Gathering up the courage, Brittany took a deep breath, closed her eyes for a second, and ran across the street to where the brunette was now standing, still with her back turned.

"Santana." Brittany greeted a little cheerfully, still panting from the short but quick run she did just to catch up with the brunette.

Santana, in reply, just smiled at the blonde. Brittany couldn't help but be mesmerized by the sight in front of her. The brunette, though a little sweaty, was still beautiful as always. _Not much has changed, indeed. _Brittany thought to herself. Santana didn't look like she aged at all; she just grew a little taller, but there were no other signs of growing older.

Santana, on the other hand, can't help but stare at the blonde too. When Santana still had Brittany, she knew that nobody could be luckier than her. Brittany was the prettiest girl she's ever met, not to mention most kind-hearted too. High school-Santana had always believed nobody was perfect except for the blue-eyed blonde; and at that wonderful morning in the park, looking at Brittany panting in her own adorable way, with the rays of sunshine on her blonde locks, Santana realized she still believed.

"Why are you here?" Santana asked, quickly gathering her thoughts after realizing she had been staring, and might have looked like a dork in front of this girl who took her breath away ever since they met when they were kids.

"I... I saw you passing by the bookstore and I just wanted to say hi." Brittany shyly answered, slapping herself in her mind. _Couldn't you have thought of any better excuse, Brittany? _She silently scolded herself.

Santana smirked, "Just to say hi? Are you sure?" Brittany didn't know what to say, so she just smiled. "Well then, hello to you too Brittany." she said in a sarcastic manner, rolling her eyes in the process. "Anyway, I better get going, I still have to jog some more before my mom wakes up and panics again. You know her, she just can't stop worrying, especially when I go out of the house without permission. It's like I'm still in high school!" Santana winked then laughed, looking back at those moments.

Just as she was about to leave, Brittany grabbed her wrist. "Wait."

Santana turned around with a confused look on her face. She didn't say anything, and just waited for an answer.

"Have lunch with me."

"What?" Santana said, a little surprised by the invitation.

"Just.. for old time's sake." Brittany smiled. "You know, catching up. It just feels great to have one of your old friends return after a long time."

_Friends, huh._ The brunette sighed at the term."I'll think about it, Brittany." Santana coldly answered.

"Come on, San. Please? I just want to know how you're doing." Brittany pleaded, with her ever-famous puppy-dog eyes. Santana tried to look away, but eventually she gave up and stared at the most beautiful blue orbs she had ever laid eyes on. This immediately won the brunette over. There never came a time when Brittany had to ask once more after showing the Latina her sparkling blue eyes, and it proved to still be effective thirteen years later.

"Fine." She scolded herself for giving up so easily. "But I have to go home first to change, and then I'll meet you at-"

"Breadstix." Brittany said, finishing the brunette's sentence. _Like we used to._

"Okay then. I better go. See you there."

"Bye, San." Brittany smiled, mentally congratulating herself for convincing Santana to have lunch with her. She wanted to ask for more, but she knew she couldn't be quick with everything. They still both had a lot of explaining to do, both from the past and the present. There were things left unsaid, and things that until now haven't been told. She figured she'd take things slow, instead of going at something right away and just have the bomb explode right in your face.

"Bye." Santana said, turning away from Brittany and walking in the opposite direction. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of having lunch with the blonde. _Just like old times. _Of course things were a bit different now... _but how big of a difference could it be?_ Santana thought.


	4. Not a Date

Santana opened the door to the Lopez household slowly, carefully, silently, trying not to wake any—

She heard footsteps. They were getting louder, getting closer. Santana froze. _This feels like high school._ She turned around, a little shakily, but then sighed in relief when she realized it wasn't her mother. "Hey, Papi."

"Hija, where have you been?" Manuel Lopez greeted her daughter with a big hug, to which the brunette reciprocated.

"I just went jogging outside. Mama didn't worry now, did she?" Santana asked, a little concerned. Gabriela Lopez was not known for being "cool" with everything, after all, especially when it comes to her little "Santanita".

"I've gotten used to you hija." Her mother entered the room, laughing slightly. "I've known you all my life, Santanita. I know how much of a troublemaker you are." Santana frowned a little, but gave in to laughter seconds later.

"Are you hungry, mija? I made some paella just for you." Manuel said, quite proud of himself, especially since he was well-known in Lima not only because of his profession of saving lives, but also for his delicious paella.

"Actually, Papi, I have to go after I change clothes. I'll be having lunch with one of my friends back in high school." Santana smiled nervously, taking note of the small frown her father tried to hide. "You know, catching up." She added, using Brittany's words.

Instead of getting upset like he always did, Manuel smiled. "Ahh, I see. My Santanita has a date." He looked at his wife, who mirrored the huge smile he had on his face.

"It's not a date!" Santana denied, feeling her cheeks flush a little. _This definitely feels like high school all over again, _she sighed.

"So, who's the lucky girl, hija?" Her mother said, ignoring her daughter's previous denial. His father just stayed silent, clearly supressing a laugh. Santana sighed again; her parents were definitely having fun with this conversation.

"I told you, mama, it's just a friend. We're just high school friends catching up on each other's lives. No big deal." The lawyer replied, shaking her head because of where the conversation was going.

"Fine. But when she becomes your girlfriend, we want to be the first to know!" Her mother replied, still with the huge smile on her face.

In fact, Gabriela was truly happy. It had been years since she last heard her daughter meeting up with someone. The way Santana talked and denied everything like it was nothing, she knew there was something else. She saw it in Santana's face: the way her eyes sparkled at the mention of "date", the way her lips almost always curve into a smile, not to mention the red cheeks her daughter probably thought wasn't that noticeable.

Santana scoffed, "I think that's highly unlikely, considering everything that has happened." Her parents look confused and amused at the same time, and the lawyer realized what she had just said. "I mean.. I.." She couldn't think of anything else to say to cover up the words that had just come out of her lips. "I have to go upstairs and change into some decent clothes. Can't keep my friend waiting, can I?" Santana nervously chuckled, walking her way towards the stairs.

"Ah, so it is a date." Gabriela whispered to her husband, who nodded happily in reply.

"Santana, hija." Manuel called out.

"Yes, Papi?"

"When the date goes well, don't forget to ask her if she likes paella valenciana, bueno?"

* * *

><p>After thirteen years of being gone, Santana realized that nothing really has changed in Lima. Breadstix was still the best restaurant in town. Once she entered the place, she immediately saw what was once her obsession: breadsticks, obviously. She looked around, seeing only slight differences from what she remembered before, and then started to look for Brittany. The blonde was alone in a booth situated at the far corner of the resto. She noticed that the girl had also changed clothes – she was wearing a simple blue dress right now – that flaunted her body perfectly.<p>

Brittany finally saw the arriving brunette, and she unconsciously straightened her dress and fixed her hair a little. She stood up, as usual with a big smile on her face, and greeted Santana with a warm "friendly" embrace.

"Hi, Brittany." Santana spoke when she broke off the hug. She sat down, followed by the blonde across her. A waitress quickly appeared and took their orders. "Spaghetti with meatballs," they both said in unison. They looked at each other, a little surprised and happy at the same time. "Okay, two plates coming up!" The waitress said, walking away from the table. They sat there in complete silence until Santana couldn't take it anymore.

"So.." Santana started.

"How are you, San?" Brittany asked immediately, her mind full of questions.

"Great. But tired, actually. All these years, I've been using my time for studying and working my ass off in New York, and I am definitely in need of a break." Santana replied. "That's also one of the reasons why I came back. I'm thinking of staying here for a while with my parents. Just a little vacation, you know? New York's too busy for me." She added.

"Oh—"

"But you know me, I keep on fighting. So I'm actually having doubts about resting. My career has just started, and settling down for a while might mean a step back so—"

"No, San. Stay here in Lima. Rest. Enjoy life." Brittany interrupted. "You deserve it."

"Still thinking." Santana smiled. "And anyway, I came here too for the reunion. You know I don't like to say this out loud, but my happiest moments were in Glee." Santana almost whispered. Brittany laughed at her best friend's low voice.

"So anyway," Santana continued, "enough about me. How about you?"

"Well, I never really got out of Lima. I did have some projects far away from here, though, but they were somewhat rare. They did help me with the dance studio I have up right now." Santana smiled once the blonde mentioned her dance studio.

"Wow, Britt!" Santana beamed. "A dance studio. You've always wanted that." Santana remembered how, at an early age, it was already the blonde's dream to be a dancer, and since then, Santana wished every night that someday Brittany reaches those dreams. She smiled and thank the heavens that finally Brittany's wish had been granted.

"Yeah." The blonde smiled. "Anyway, I teach dance classes every other day. Kids in the morning, then adults in the afternoon. Then sometimes my friends from other dance groups invite me to join their shows. That pays the bills most of the time."

"That's great, Brittany. I'm glad you never gave up on dancing." Santana replied.

"It's always been my dream. You know that." Brittany said, smiling at the brunette across from her.

"Yeah." Santana said, but clearly not knowing what to say next.

They sat there quietly for the next few minutes, both thinking about whether or not to talk about that _thing. _Before anyone else had the chance to talk, though, the waitress appeared once again and placed their plates on the table. This, at least, got them distracted for a little longer. While eating, they both decided to talk about safer topics – Quinn and Rachel, the other Glee kids, Lima – not making mention of any word related to their _past_, and present, if ever there was. They didn't want to ruin their first... lunch together. As friends.

Both of them were having a great time just enjoying each other's company. Brittany was laughing loudly at Santana's New York stories. Santana kept on smiling whenever they talked about how a bitch she was during high school. They both chuckled when the wheelbarrow of breadstix was mentioned in the conversation. Santana missed this. She missed the talks and laughs she shared with the blue-eyed blonde. She missed stealing glances every now and then. She missed the comfort and ease she feels when they were together. She was definitely enjoying this.

It was then and there that she decided to stay in Lima for a little longer, saying yes to the vacation.

"So, Brittany.."

"Yeah?"

"Do you like paella valenciana?"


	5. Face to Face

"_Do you understand what I'm trying to say here?" Santana asked, and Brittany just shook her head no as a reply._

_Santana hesitated, looked around a little before speaking. "I want to be with you, but I'm afraid of the talks, and the looks, and you know what happened to Kurt at this school."_

_Brittany smiled. "But honey, if anybody were to ever make fun of you," Santana avoided Brittany's gaze, her eyes filled with worry, "you would either kick their ass or slash them with your vicious, vicious words."_

"_Yeah, I know. But..." Santana's eyes were starting to tear up, "I'm just so afraid of what everyone will say behind my back. Still, I have to accept that I love you." Santana was crying. "I love you, and I don't want to be with Sam, or Finn, or any of those other guys. I just want you."_

"_Please say you love me back. Please."_

_Brittany replied, "Of course I love you. And I would totally be with you if it weren't for Artie."_

"_Artie?" Santana asked, clearly annoyed._

"_I love him too. I don't want to hurt him," Brittany saw the brunette's eyebrows furrow, "that's not right. I can't break up with him."_

"_Yes, you can!" Santana argued, "He's just a stupid boy."_

"_But it wouldn't be right." Santana shook her head at Brittany's reply. "Santana, you have to know, if Artie and I were to ever break up, and I'm lucky enough that you're still single…" Brittany tried to grab a hold of Santana's arm, but she yanked it away from her. "I'm so yours." Brittany smiled. "Proudly so."_

_Then suddenly, everything went dark, and Santana just disappeared in the hallway. Brittany was alone, and she tried to find Santana but couldn't. She ran from hallway to hallway, looking for a certain brunette, but she failed at every try. She kept screaming Santana's name, hoping the Latina would respond, but the hallways remained empty; her heart remained empty._

* * *

><p>"Shh… hey…" Brittany was still frowning, making weird noises while sleeping. "Hey, babe, wake up." The girl continued to shake the blonde lightly, forcing the latter's eyes to finally flutter open. She noticed that Brittany was at the verge of tearing up.<p>

"Babe, what's wrong?" The girl asked, her eyes full of concern.

Brittany blinked a few times, sat up a little in her bed, taking in the scene around her. She was in her room, the lights were off, and there was an arm trying to soothe her back. She looked at her left, and showed a fake smile to the girl beside her. "It was just a dream." She sighed in relief, and wiped some tears that were threatening to fall any second now. "I'm alright. It's nothing."

The raven-haired girl stayed quiet, just staring at the blonde. "Are you sure? Do you want some water? Do you want to talk about it? Do you—"

"Let's just get some more sleep." Brittany interrupted, not showing any signs of panic. The other girl simply just nodded, and kissed the blonde in the cheek before going back to her previous position. She couldn't sleep since then, thinking about what had just happened, and neither could the blonde, still thinking about one Santana Lopez, but they both decided that pretending to sleep and just staying quiet would be better than doing anything else.

* * *

><p>The Latina yawned, "Five more minutes," she mumbled, without realizing there was no one else in the bedroom but her. After three minutes though, her phone started to ring, and the brunette, still thinking about the lunch "date" with Brittany, quickly grabbed her phone in hopes of talking to a certain blonde.<p>

She was right about one thing: It was a blonde... but not the blonde she was expecting.

"What do you want, Stretchmarks?" Santana scowled, obviously pissed about waking up to the voice of anyone but Brittany.

"Good morning to you too, Santana." Quinn answered, laughing slightly. "I see you've just woken up."

"Yeah, thanks to you. I was having a good dream, and you had to ruin it."

"You're welcome." Q replied, very amused with their start of the conversation.

"So, what the hell do you want at this time of the hour?" The brunette yawned again.

"Well, you know how small Lima is and how fast the news spread," The blonde started, "And I just heard _someone_ had lunch with a certain blonde yesterday." This got the brunette up and finally interested in this annoying talk with Quinn Fabray.

"Well Lucy," Santana chuckled, "if you really _must_ know, we had a great time." The brunette warmed at the memory. It was the first time she's felt so alive in a while.

"I need details, S. Details."

"There's not much to tell, just that it felt like old times." Santana answered, still smiling, "We ordered spaghetti and talked about a lot of things – Glee, high school, even you and Rachel for a while – and it was so fun and comfortable—"

"Wait, you talked about what?"

"Oh, shut up, Preggers. I just said that I was surprised at the news that you and Hobbit were together, that's all." Santana said, "Anyway, we talked about our lives a little, and since I'll be staying for a little longer than expected here in Lima, we agreed to hang out another time…" the brunette was still smiling, but quickly added, "as friends."

"Well, that's good news!" Quinn exclaimed, whispering something to Rachel, which Santana couldn't hear much about. Suddenly, Santana heard Quinn scream and laugh, and then she heard a voice. "Hello, Santana? Are you still there?" Rachel asked, laughing very loudly like her wife.

"Yeah, Dwarf. Anything you need?" Santana replied, with a curious look plastered on her face.

"None at all, I just wanted to confirm if you're still coming tonight. You know, the high school reunion. I hope you haven't forgotten that. It's tonight at the William McKinley High School gymna—"

"I haven't forgotten, Midget. Stop being so excited about everything, jeez." Santana shook her head, trying to hide a smirk, but stopped when she realized Rachel couldn't actually see her.

"Fine. But just so you know, after the party at the gym, you have to go to the auditorium. And I mean it. You have to go." Rachel emphasized the word "have" a little too much, but Santana already understood the need for it the first time.

"No need to shout on the phone, okay? I can hear you well. Anyway, what's in the auditorium?"

"The New Directions reunion!" Rachel exclaimed, making her wife smile with adoration.

"What? Isn't the one at the gym enough?" Santana said, making Rachel frown a little.

"But everyone will be there, Santana! You're the last one I've invited because I know you'd be the tough one. Anyway, don't you want to spend more time with us? Artie will be there, as well as Sam, of course I will be there with my wife," Rachel winked at Quinn, "oh! And Mercedes will be there too, also Brittany, Mike, Kurt, Blaine…" Rachel continued to read the long list in her mind.

Santana stopped listening at _Brittany_; that was all she needed to hear anyway. "Fine, I'll come."

Rachel jumped, signalling a thumbs up to her wife. "Great! I'll see you there!" the shorter brunette said. As she was about to say something else, Santana heard someone grab the phone, and Rachel screamed something about that not being fair. Santana laughed at the couple.

"Hey, it's Q." Quinn finally said after a few minutes of indescribable sounds for the taller brunette.

"Hey."

"So anyway," Quinn asked, "are you bringing a date?"

Santana thought for a moment. _A date? Is she serious? I've been away from Lima for thirteen years, and in those years all I ever did was study and work; socializing was never in my list of things to do for the day. _She sighed, "No. I won't."

"Well, you should consider bringing one. You know, just to make it even." Quinn laughed lightly.

_Make what even? _Santana wondered. She didn't understand anything about what the blonde had just said. Nonetheless, she just ignored it and the endless possibilities of what that could mean. "I don't need a date. I'm sexy as hell, Fabray. The date shall come to me at the reunion." Santana smirked.

"Whatever, Lopez." The blonde snickered. "I'll see you tonight."

"Bye."

Santana hung up, and for almost thirty minutes, she just sat at the foot of her bed in deep thinking. _"Well, you should consider bringing one. You know, just to make it even." _Quinn Fabray's words continued to ring in her ears, and she pondered for a long time about what that could meant. She finally gave up, saying it could mean a lot of things, or it was just Quinn getting into her mind again, and prepared herself for her morning jog.

* * *

><p>"Well, if it isn't Satan?" Kurt Hummel shouted from the far end of the gymnasium once he caught sight of the Latina in red.<p>

"Hummel, nice to see you." The brunette waved at the boy approaching. "How are you?"

"Same old, same old," Kurt rolled his eyes, "and still fabulous. How about you?"

"I have to agree on the fabulous part," Santana winked, "and I've been great, just a little weary from all the business of New York."

Kurt smiled. Santana then remembered the raven-haired boy Hummel was dating the last time they saw each other. _What was his name again? _Santana thought for a while. "Where's Blaine? How are you two?" Santana asked, finally remembering the boy's name.

Kurt smiled slightly, shaking his head, "We're not together anymore."

Santana, wide-eyed, asked why. Before Kurt could answer, though, someone interrupted them.

"It's been… how many years… thirteen?" the man asked, "And you're still hot as hell!"

The brunette slapped his arm, "Hi, Puck."

"Are you not going to tell me I'm hot as hell too after all these years? Noah Puckerman grinned, earning another slap from the Latina.

Santana continued to catch up with her friends. She bumped into Mike and Tina, who were now married with two kids. Santana smiled at the thought of the Asian couple. They had been together since high school and the brunette was genuinely happy that they still are until now. Finn Hudson, much to Santana's surprise, was already married. She didn't know the girl, and nobody could say they did, but the brunette quickly became friends with Mrs. Finn Hudson, and they spent a lot of time talking and laughing. After a few minutes, the Latina heard wheels screeching to a halt behind her. She hugged Artie once he greeted her, and he introduced his wife to her. Santana was glad that Artie had found someone, which also resulted to the cute girl sitting in her friend's lap while playing with the wheels. Also present at the event was Will Schuester, their former Glee club and Spanish teacher. Santana noticed how much he has changed. He looked too old for his age. His hair was already white, and she could see a lot of wrinkles already. She almost felt pity for her old teacher, but she looked down and saw his hand connected to Emma Pillsbury's. The Latina saw the happiness in Mr. Schue's face, much like when he proposed to their former guidance counsellor, and she realized that was enough for the teacher. She suddenly felt a little pang in her chest. _I miss the feeling, _the brunette thought, and at that moment a certain blonde had entered the venue.

Santana couldn't take her eyes away from the blonde who had just come in and was now greeting Mercedes. Brittany was wearing a yellow ruffled dress, and her golden locks were bouncing gracefully as she laughed at something Mercedes might have said. The blonde finally noticed the brunette looking at her and smiled while coming near her. Santana stay put at where she stood, still hypnotized by the beauty that was Brittany Susan Pierce.

"Hello." The blue-eyed blonde greeted.

"You look…" Santana couldn't find the right words, "stunning." She said a little nervously, like a kid on his first date. Her eyes locked with the blonde's, and both were full of love and adoration.

"You too." The blonde grinned, still staring into chocolate brown orbs.

They stayed that way for a little longer, just looking at each other like there were alone in the huge gymnasium of William McKinley High School. They ignored the loud music, the balloons flying everywhere, and the multi-colored lights that kept shining on them. They continued, without a care in the world.

"Hey, Britt. I'm sorry, I couldn't find a parking space quickly so I was a little late."

Brittany finally broke the staring contest and saw the person beside her. She greeted the girl back with a worried face. Panic finally settled in the blonde's eyes, looking back and forth between the woman beside her and the one in front.

Santana, who was at a loss for words when she first saw the blonde walk in the gymnasium, continued to stay silent at the sight in front of her. She was trying hard to show her poker face, but once the girl took Brittany's hand and kissed her cheek, the brunette couldn't help but look away a little. Blue orbs finally met brown ones, which were begging her to tell the brunette what the hell was happening.

Brittany didn't know what to do. Yesterday, she and Santana were having a great time at Breadstix – laughing, talking, brushing their hands from time to time – and now, from what she could see in Santana's face, it was like everything was erased instantly. She remembered how, the day before, she decided not to mention any of this to the Latina, afraid that it might spoil their first meeting after a long time. She didn't even know how to say it to Santana, and what the brunette would react, so she chose not to say a word about it yesterday.

Brittany took three deep breaths, closed her eyes for a moment, forced a smile on her face, and finally opened them, looking at Santana.

"This is Spencer…" the blonde hesitated, "my girlfriend."


	6. Blow by Blow

Santana Lopez gulped down her seventh drink, still avoiding the gaze of the blue-eyed blonde seated slightly far away from her.

"Jesus, S! There isn't even any alcohol in it." Quinn grabbed the cup from the brunette and eyed her suspiciously. "What's up with you?"

"What the hell, Fabray?" Santana snapped, grabbing the cup from Quinn and pouring another drink, "I'm just so thirsty, okay?" The brunette said, quickly turning her head in the other direction so as not to accidentally glance at Brittany, who was still looking at her from afar.

In truth, she was really thirsty. After meeting the raven-haired girl who was now holding Brittany's hand and talking to the people in their table, her throat felt too dry. She hadn't said anything after the tall blonde introduced her girlfriend; she just smiled at both of them, shook Spencer's hand, and walked quickly to the punchbowl. And that was where she had been, drinking a non-alcoholic drink like an alcoholic, until Quinn noticed her and joined her.

Quinn looked at what was behind her that was causing the disapproving looks from the Latina, and sighed after realizing what had caused the appearance of the dark cloud above Santana. "Ah, I see you've met Spencer."

Santana suddenly glared at Quinn as a reply. "Yeah," the blonde scoffed, "so you really did meet her."

"You know her? How?" Santana asked, maintaining the glare she showed when Quinn mentioned the name Spencer. _God, I hate that name very, very much, _the brunette thought, annoyed at even thinking of the name, or worse, the girl herself… or worst, the girl _with Brittany_. _Too much._ She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. "And may I know why you didn't tell me sooner?" the Latina said, crossing her arms.

"To answer your first question, yes, I do know her." Quinn took a deep breath, "Just… don't get mad, okay?" Santana's left eyebrow was suddenly raised, "Spencer is my roommate in college. One summer, I went back here in Lima to visit my parents, and she wanted to go with me," Quinn looked away, "and that's how they met. And to answer your last question, I did tell you. I asked you to bring a date, remember?"

"Great." Santana laughed sarcastically, "thanks a lot, Quinn."

"Hey, San…" Quinn reached for the Latina's arm, but Santana just moved farther away. "You were the one who left, remember?" This earned another glare from the brunette, but she just looked down after realizing what the blonde meant.

After seconds, Santana spoke. "Is she happy, Quinn?" Santana was still looking down, unable to lift her head up to look at the blonde facing her. Her fingers were trembling slightly, but not enough for Quinn to notice.

Quinn just stared at Santana. She felt sorry for the girl. Even if she knew she shouldn't, she felt a little guilty. She remembered how, when they were still in high school, she had always believed that true love was real because there was a Santana and Brittany. After they graduated and Santana left, Quinn still believed that someday they would be together again. However, something somehow ruined everything, and she felt her heart ache knowing she was the one who brought this obstacle in their lives.

"Quinn." Santana finally looked up, her eyes begging. "Is she happy?" She repeated.

Quinn saw the look on the Latina's face. Tears were threatening to fall on her eyes. She can't stand seeing her friend like this. It was one of those rare moments one could see Santana Lopez about to break down in public. "San…" Quinn looked around, finally seeing Brittany, laughing and talking with their old high school friends, but stealing glances towards the blonde and brunette who were talking by the buffet table. "I don't know, San. Honestly…" Quinn sighed, "I don't know." Quinn's fingers were trembling now, too.

Santana sighed, wiped her eyes, and smiled weakly at Quinn. "It's okay, Q. I'm not mad at you." She held the blonde's hands so that they would stop shaking. "I understand."

"Why'd you leave, San?" Quinn asks, nervously waiting for the answer.

"It's complicated, Q." Santana replied. Quinn was about to say something when Rachel suddenly interrupted their conversation, clearly not sensing the tension. "Hey guys! It's getting late, and it's time for the New Directions reunion, so why don't you just continue your little chat in the auditorium? Everyone's already waiting for you!" the Latina quickly eyed the table Brittany was in and noticed her absence, "And don't worry, there's alcohol this time!" Rachel winked at Santana. _Thank God for Rachel Berry! _Santana then smiled and followed Rachel to the auditorium.

* * *

><p>The April Rhodes Civic Pavilion seemed to be more elegant than the last time she had stepped foot on it thirteen years ago. The curtains, which were now a combination of red and gold, were draped gracefully on each side of the stage. The lights were a bit brighter than before. The walls were embellished with a bit of gold, and the seats were bigger than she last recalled. Everything else was the same, but after years of not being in Lima, Santana Lopez felt like a tourist entering the auditorium for the first time.<p>

"Remember when we invited Vocal Adrenaline in here?" Santana heard Finn say.

"We definitely kicked their asses with our funky side!" Mike answered, showing some moves they did before that earned shocked faces from their rivals.

"Hell yeah, we did!" Mercedes added, gaining roaring laughs from everyone seated on the stage. Santana noticed the beautiful decorations on the chairs and tables next. Everything certainly screamed _Rachel Berry_.

"Wow, Man Hands," Santana spoke, "you've truly outdone yourself this time. The place is gorgeous." Rachel grinned at the compliment. "I'm gonna hug you now!" She said and did so before Santana had a chance to refuse, as everyone turned their attention towards the two brunettes. Brittany, who had been watching Santana since their conversation with Spencer, smiled at the hugging girls. Santana then pushed Rachel a little to get away from the suffocating hug.

"Now," Rachel shouted excitedly, "let's get the real party started!" The New Directions all cheered in response.

Everyone was having a great time drinking, catching up, dancing, and singing. Santana just sat by the table watching the crowd. Rachel was obviously drunk already; she was bouncing like a maniac on the stage while Tina and Mercedes tried and failed to stop her. Finn and Puck were talking loudly about something the tall brunette thinks no one could actually understand. Mike was showing Artie amazing moves Santana hadn't seen before. With all the commotion on the stage, plus the loud music and dazzling lights, Santana didn't notice when a blonde walked up to her.

"Want a drink?" Brittany shyly asked, slightly moving her hand to offer the other cup she was holding.

After what felt like centuries for Brittany, Santana then smiled and grabbed the drink. "Thanks," The brunette said with a small smile still on her face, "you wanna sit down?" Brittany nodded and took the seat next to the Latina. They stared at the scene in front of them for a while, not talking, not even glancing at each other, and just watching their friends have fun, until Santana couldn't stand the silence any longer.

"Where's Spencer?" She finally asked, silently cursing herself for not being able to help it.

"She had to go to work. There was a couple who got into a car accident." Brittany answered nervously. "Listen, San, about a while ago—"

Santana swallowed hard before speaking. She knew they would eventually talk about it, but she never expected the talk would be only hours after. "Hey," she smiled and put a hand on Brittany's knee. The blonde couldn't help that it sent shivers down her spine. "It's alright, Britt. There's nothing to worry about." Brittany somehow relaxed a bit at that. "I'm happy for you." Santana added before looking away, hiding the hurt look on her face. She then felt Brittany's hand on her own which made her eyes shine a bit more.

"San." Quinn startled the brunette, who was trying to wipe her eyes without anyone seeing.

"Jesus, Quinn, what's your problem?" Santana replied with a threatening glare.

"Could you excuse us, one sec?" Quinn asked Brittany, who just nodded her head in response. Santana smiled at the blue-eyed blonde before retreating her hand and standing up to follow the shorter blonde. As they parted ways, both felt the need to take the other's hand and just never let go, but they both decided in their minds that it was not exactly the sensible thing to do. Brittany then chose to stay put and listen, since Santana and Quinn were still within earshot.

"What is it, Quinn?" Santana asked, grabbing Quinn's arm.

"The hospital called on Rachel's phone, they said your phone was off." Quinn said a little quietly. The brunette grimaced. "I didn't charge my phone, okay? And why did the hospital have to care? It's not like they're my parents." She scoffed.

After getting no response, Santana saw the change in the blonde's face, and she suddenly felt her heart stop for a bit.

"What the hell is wrong, Fabray?" Santana looked terrified all of a sudden, somehow expecting the words that came out of Quinn's mouth.

"It's your parents. Manuel and Gabriela. They were in a car accident." Santana just stood there, unable to process what she had just heard.

"San, they're in surgery right now."


	7. Just Hold On

The doors of the Lima General flew open as Santana Lopez burst in screaming her parents' names. She was in too much of a panic for pleasantries and so once she reached the front desk she didn't even bother to know anyone's names, let alone look at their shocked faces. "Manuel and Gabriela Lopez," she said loudly, earning puzzled looks from both patients and employees, "room number" she muttered, giving out loud puffs after her long and crazy run.

"108" was all the nurse could answer. She was trembling, and the pen she was holding suddenly fell while she spoke the three numbers. She was terrified, of course. Who wouldn't be?

Santana didn't say anything in response and just raced to where the nurse had told her to. Once she reached the room, she pushed the door open and was greeted by two hospital beds where Manuel and Gabriela Lopez lay. They were breathing, but they weren't awake.

The brunette suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. The sight of her parents so helpless made her feel all this negative energy inside of her. She had always seen her parents happy and strong, and this scene was definitely foreign to her. She felt paralyzed and glued to the floor. She just stood there and looked like she might cry any time soon. She couldn't do anything but stay with them and just wait, and that was one of the most painful things she didn't think she could handle at all.

After a couple of minutes, however, she was able to move again and approach her father. He looked older than usual and his hair was a mess. Santana held Manuel's hand as she whispered. "Papi, I know you're there. I know you can hear me." The once fierce chocolate brown orbs all of a sudden turned into a waterfall of sadness. "Please," Santana begged, "please wake up." She held on tighter, hoping for even just slight movement, a sign that he was there with her. This was to no avail, as she eventually let go and stood up.

Santana sat beside her mother next, brushing some hair behind the older Latina's ear affectionately. She stared at Gabriela's frail body, and clenched her hands whilst crying still. "Mami," Santana started, trying to breathe properly to calm herself down, "be strong. You've always been strong. Wake up, Ma." Santana grasped her mother's hand and brushed her thumb over Gabriela's face, "Your Santanita needs you."

The door opened slowly and Santana jumped as she saw a blonde coming in. She quickly turned her back and wiped her tears, not wanting anyone to see her in this state. "What do you want, Quinn?" the brunette asked, using her friend's name instead of a mean nickname, which didn't go unnoticed by the blonde.

"I just wanted to check on you. How are you, Santana?"

"Obviously, not fine." Santana said sarcastically while still trying to stop some sobs from escaping.

"Santana…"

"Look, Q, I'm not trying to be rude this time but," Santana sighed, "can you please just leave me alone here for a while?" She faced the blonde, finally letting her see this new side to Santana Lopez. Quinn had never seen Santana this way before. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying. Her hands were slightly shaking, as well as her lips. This wasn't the Santana she knew. At that time, Santana seemed like a lost little girl in a huge crowd. She reminded the blonde of all the people they had dumped slushies on, scared and defenceless. Santana looked like she could crumble into pieces any minute now, and Quinn wanted nothing more but to hug her and tell her that everything will be alright.

Knowing Santana, though, she just nodded. "Okay, San, just call me when you need anything. I'll be at the waiting room."

And at that the blonde had left. Santana was alone again.

When Santana heard the click that signalled Quinn was gone, she let her tears fall down again as she tried to forget and remember at the same time the sad reality she was now stuck in.

Manuel and Gabriela Lopez, her parents, were in a car accident. This was something no one had expected to occur, not ever in their lives. Apparently, the truck driver, who was pronounced dead on arrival, was drunk and came out of nowhere, colliding with the Lopez car.

Santana couldn't believe this was happening. She shook her head, trying to push all her thoughts away. One day, they were laughing and teasing their little Santanita about a "date" with a high school friend, and now there they were, on the hospital beds unconscious, with their daughter weeping in the corner.

_Please be okay._

* * *

><p>Brittany watched as Santana rushed to the doors of the auditorium like a scared little kid moments ago, with Quinn Fabray chasing after her. She had been talking to Quinn about something which Brittany didn't quite get. Though she was just a few steps away, all that she had gathered were the words "hospital", "parents", and "surgery". She thought for a moment about what those words could mean.<p>

Finally putting two and two together, she grabbed her car keys and ran outside the same way Santana did.

Brittany hasn't seen Santana like this. Never. Sure, there were times that Sue made them all pretty scared, and there were times when she comforted the Latina in her arms when they were alone, but this Santana… this Santana was different, and that got Brittany nervous and worried as she drove with as much speed as she could.

The blue-eyed blonde found Quinn seated in the waiting area, which was just a few feet away from where Santana was now asleep. Brittany observed as the other blonde tried to fight her drowsiness and kept on opening and closing her eyes. Finally, she lightly slapped her cheek and shook her head, catching Brittany walking up to her in the process.

Quinn quickly grew wide-eyed, startled at the other blonde. She held the spot where her heart was, and looked at Brittany. The shorter blonde was either too startled or too tired to speak, because both of them just stared into each other's eyes for a few minutes.

At last, Brittany noticed the silence and was the first one to speak. She had a lot of questions in her mind, but all that came out was "Santana?"

"Third room from my left. She's fine, but she won't let anyone in."

Quinn yawned, which didn't go unseen by Brittany. The taller blonde took the other's hand and pulled her up from her seat. "Go home, Q. I'll take San home."

Quinn immediately rejected the offer, rubbing her eyes, "I'm fine, Britt. You go—"

"Rachel's worried, you know." Quinn's attention was back at Brittany right away. "Go. I'll stay."

The shorter blonde sighed defeatedly. "Fine," she grumbled, "but call me as soon as you get home, okay?"

Brittany let out a comforting smile, hugging Quinn before the other girl grabbed her things and left the hospital. She then sat down at Quinn's previous seat and started reading a magazine as she waited for the brunette.

* * *

><p>The nurse from a while ago shook Santana lightly to wake her up. Clearly, visiting hours were over. She earned a glare from the brunette, which sent her nervously leaving the room. Before she closed the door, though, she repeated to Santana that she should leave and just go back the next day, and that a Dr. Wayright will be waiting for her in the morning.<p>

Santana for a while forgot where she was, and wondered for a bit about her surroundings. She then spotted her parents, and all of a sudden she was sobbing again. She quickly grabbed a tissue and tried to calm herself as she stood up.

Santana fixed herself a little in front of the mirror after the nurse had left. She was a wreck, and she really needed sleep, as in real sleep. She massaged her forehead and stretched her arms before going out of the room. When she exited the room, she at once saw a sleeping blonde not far from her. Brittany was still holding a magazine, and it seemed like she dozed off while reading it. She was snoring lightly, and her nose scrunched up from time to time. For a few moments, Santana just watched the blonde, unknowingly smiling like a dork. She had clearly forgotten about everything else as she continued to gape at the wonderful sight before her. Brittany's nose, eyes, lips, eyebrows, ears, hair… everything about her just seemed so perfect. She stayed on her spot for a long time until Brittany's eyes fluttered open slowly, which was overlooked by the Latina. The blonde then realized she was being watched by Santana and so she smiled, "I'm awake now, you know."

The blonde's beautiful voice immediately sent her heart into a whirlwind of emotions. Santana just came out of the worst room she had ever been in; her parents were in an accident and she had no idea what the future held for them, she looked like some alcoholic that just arrived home from another night of heavy drinking, and everything just wasn't doing great in her life at the moment. But somehow, the sound of Brittany's voice calmed her and made her feel like nothing was wrong in this miserable world. Santana looked at Brittany and took a few steps towards her. She wanted to kiss the blonde. She wanted to hug her. She wanted to be held in her arms until everything was alright again. But Santana stopped all at once as she realized the situation she was in.

Santana got surprised and crossed her arms defensively, although she sensed that her reaction was a little too late. Brittany laughed at this, and Santana felt her cheeks flush a shade of red. However, after a while, she gave in to the laughter, and just shook her head in embarrassment.

"Hi, Santana." Brittany grinned, and Santana just couldn't help but mirror the expression.

"Hello."

"So, how are you?" The blonde's face then turned a little serious at this, very much concerned with the brunette in front of her right now.

"Well, depressed, shocked, and honestly," Santana shrugged, "I don't know what the fuck I'm gonna do."

"I don't know either," Brittany replied apologetically, "but what I do know is that right now, you need to rest, San. Come on," she held out her hand, "let me take you home."

"But Quinn—"

"—went home already and I volunteered to take her place. Let's go."

Santana finally took the other girl's hand and let Brittany take the lead. For some reason, being with Brittany made Santana feel protected, like everything was right in the world, that she was where she truly belonged. Brittany, unbeknownst to Santana, felt the same way. Her heart felt at peace, and she wished that she could hold the Santana's hand and just never let go. They had always been this way – like nothing else mattered in the world.

* * *

><p>The car ride was silent throughout. Brittany didn't know if she should speak up or not, and if she did… what would she say? Santana, on the other hand, did not exactly feel like talking to anyone about anything. She was too lost in her thoughts. <em>What the hell happened? Why them? Why not me? I'm young, and I'm always a bitch to everyone. My parents are the good ones. I should be the one in that hospital bed and not them. <em>Santana clenched her fists in frustration. _Will they ever wake up again?_ She faced the car window, unable to stop her tears from falling. She didn't want Brittany to see her like this. She had seen enough, and Santana wasn't one to be open completely to someone else. The blonde, however, did not miss a second of the scene and immediately took hold of Santana's hand.

"It's gonna be okay, San." Brittany squeezed her hand gently, "Everything's gonna be okay. Just hold on."

Santana turned her head, gazed at their intertwined hands, and nodded slowly.

"Get some rest," she heard Brittany say, "so tomorrow you won't feel so tired." Santana nodded once more, and as Brittany tried to let go of her hand, she tightened her grip on the blonde. She knew Brittany was happy with someone else, and that the conversation they had at the reunion wasn't, as much as Santana wished it was, just a dream. She knew she didn't have Brittany anymore, but at that moment, Santana needed Brittany Susan Pierce more than ever. The blonde always had the power to calm her, soothe her, and that's what she wanted most right now. Brittany smiled and also held on tighter, driving more slowly just to be safe.

And so amidst all the chaos that was going on in the mind of Santana Lopez, with just Brittany's touch, she finally fell into a calm and peaceful slumber.


	8. Unexpected

Santana Lopez woke up feeling a little sore. She couldn't remember anything about the past events just yet. She wandered aimlessly around her room, trying to recall anything that had happened the night before and why everything in her body ached awfully. She checked her face in the mirror, and saw a person very different from herself. She stared at her reflection for a long time as though she was looking at someone new entirely. She put her hair up in a messy bun, washed her face, and brushed her teeth, still unaware of anything that had transpired before she fell asleep. She once again glanced at the figure looking back at her in the mirror, and her face scrunched up in disgust. She was the epitome of a train wreck. She climbed back into bed, trying to organize her thoughts and piece everything together. She couldn't however. _Not with this fucking headache, _the Latina slammed the bedside table hard. "Ouch!" she said to herself, and checked her hand if there was a bruise. She took a fleeting look at the table she just hit, and noticed the pink note tucked under a book she had been reading for days. Santana sat up straight and grabbed the small paper which she now saw was torn from one of her notebooks by the kitchen. She examined the note carefully, and grinned at once after realizing who wrote it. She would know whose handwriting it was anywhere. She sighed while falling back down on the bed, still with the dopey look on her face, feeling all giddy like a teenager as she read.

_Hey San! Sorry I couldn't stay too long. I have to go back home and fix some stuff. Anyway, I hope you slept well last night. You looked so tired after everything that happened!_

Santana's eyes grew wide at the message. _Did something happen between me and… _She gasped, wishing she knew what the hell happened last night. _Did we have…? Oh God. _She covered her mouth in shock as she continued to read the letter.

_Too tired that I had to almost carry you out of the car. You even almost tripped up the stairs and didn't bother to change before going to bed. Then I heard you snoring already. And loudly, San. I could hear you from the first floor! :-) _

Santana took in deep breaths, finally remembering some parts of the past night. Brittany drove her home, and nothing crazy happened between them. Fragmented images went through her head about the blonde almost falling down with Santana in her arms, the brunette really tripping up the stairs - _Who trips up the stairs? _Santana laughed, feeling like an idiot realizing Brittany was with her when that happened – and finally falling asleep without changing into anything comfortable. Santana felt her headache go away slowly. She smiled as she proceeded with the letter.

_Anyway, I noticed how empty your refrigerator was when I tried to find some milk, so I went to the store and got some of your favorites. Also, don't forget to smile today, okay? I know this is tough, but everything will be back to normal, San. Drive safely to the hospital! Call me when you get there._

_Brittany_

Santana didn't let go of the smile she was showing. After all this time, Brittany still cared for her. She sighed contentedly at the thought staring at the note again. She was about to put the piece of paper back on the table when she read the message again, this time skeptically. _Drive safely to the hospital? _Santana tapped her chin. _Why do I have to... Oh, shit! _Her eyes grew wide once again and she raced for the bathroom. She splashed more water in her face and desperately tried to find some decent clothes to put on. She rushed to the kitchen to grab something she could eat along the way, and dashed for the door. She sped down the highway, clutching a piece of bread in her mouth.

* * *

><p>Brittany was seated at the couch, glued to the television. She was watching cartoons, and although they were obviously for kids, the blonde can't help but still turn the TV on and go to that channel every single time.<p>

Her cellphone rang, and Brittany for a while didn't mind. Today's episode was good, and she wouldn't want to spoil it just because someone called her too early in the morning. She continued to watch while eating her favourite ice cream. The phone kept ringing, and Brittany eventually had to turn the television off and grab her phone. She sighed, but then realized it might be Santana calling her. She jumped back on the couch and checked the caller ID, disappointed it wasn't the brunette that wouldn't escape from her thoughts even for a minute or two.

"Hey, Rach. What's up?" Brittany tried to be cheerful as she greeted Rachel on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Britt-Britt. Did you sleep well? I heard you took Santana home from the hospital." She replied, her voice filled with concern. "Is she okay? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, she was snoring too loudly when I left." Brittany smiled genuinely, thoughts going back to Santana. She always loved to watch her sleep. She stayed like that for a while, thinking calmly about helping out a sleepy brunette up the stairs and into her bedroom. She chuckled lightly, but then realized there was still a phone in her hand and hastily added, "And yes, I'm fine. Just woke up a little too early, but I'm okay." The blonde babbled, "Really okay. I mean I went home maybe later than usual but—"

"Hey." Rachel found this amusing and immediately shook her head whilst smiling, knowing Santana had this power to make the blonde nervous, whether it be when they were talking directly to each other or just squeezing in Santana's name in a conversation that didn't actually include Santana. "You're okay, I get it." The shorter brunette laughed.

When Rachel didn't get a response, she sensed something in Brittany. She seemed obviously nervous and quiet, but there was something else. Rachel's eyes finally brightened up when she figured something out and threw her fist up in the air, as if she won something big from a competition... a singing competition. She then scrolled through her mind looking for the right words to tell Brittany next, but all she came up with was a serious "Do you miss her, Brittany?"

Brittany was taken aback. She didn't expect Rachel to say something like this to her, especially at five in the morning. She knew Rachel wasn't the type to keep things to herself, but sometimes her sudden expression of thoughts just surprised Brittany like it was the first time the brunette has ever spoken her thoughts abruptly. Still, she couldn't think of anything to answer Rachel. "What?" she muttered, her voice quivering a bit.

The brunette mentally kicked herself, not being able to help saying what was in her mind. Sure, she was very much known for always saying what she thinks, just like Santana but in a more decent manner, but this time, she knew she was going too far. She cursed herself for spoiling Brittany's day early in the morning.

"God, Britt, I'm sorry. I didn't think before I spoke. I'm really sorry. I should've not said that and now we're on this awkward state. I'm such an ass for this. You don't know how sorry I am, Brittany. I couldn't—" Rachel, too, was now babbling incessantly, to which the blonde noticed.

"Hey." This time it was Brittany who said this, now with their roles reversed. "It's okay."

"You don't have to answer it, B."

"No, it's fine. I—"

"It's okay. Just go get some more sleep, okay? You still sound too tired. I'm sorry for earlier."

"Okay."

"Bye."

Brittany shuffled anxiously in her seat. The question took her by surprise, but now that she had thought about it, she knew her answer.

"Hey, hon. I gotta go back to the hospital. I'm meeting a patient's kid and I heard she's kind of harsh with the nurses." Spencer came in sight and kissed Brittany's cheek. "But I promise I'll be back at your place for dinner."

Brittany finally snapped back to reality and let out a small smile.

"Are you okay, Brittany?" Spencer asked, curious about her girlfriend's recent behaviour. She had been like this for a week now, and she couldn't quite point her finger at what was causing the blonde to act this way.

"Ye-Yeah. I'm fine, Spence." Brittany looked away for a while like she was lost in her thoughts, but then shook her head and faced the raven-haired doctor, "I'm fine. Dinner, okay?"

Spencer grinned, "Yes! And I promise to be on time." At this, Brittany let out a soft laugh escape from her lips, and stood up to kiss her girlfriend on the lips. "Be safe." She said as her lips came in contact with Spencer's again. She let out a soft giggle, and wrapped her arms around the other girl's neck. They stayed that way for a while, kissing and laughing, until Spencer released her hands from Brittany's waist and gave her one last peck.

"I'll see you later." She said while moving out the door. "Bye, Britt." Spencer smiled for the last time before closing the door and driving to work.

Brittany beamed as she flopped down on the couch and touched her lips lightly. Her thoughts then drifted to a certain Latina. She reminisced on how Santana's lips would feel on hers. _Her soft, puffy… perfect lips. _Brittany sighed, still touching her lips. Rachel's voice suddenly rang inside her head. _"Do you miss her, Brittany?" _Brittany felt a pang inside of her, as she pulled her knees to her chest. She stared at a picture on the table in front of her; it was a picture of Spencer and Brittany in a restaurant. It was the blonde's birthday, and her girlfriend had arranged a lovely dinner for them. Brittany's eyes glistened as her thoughts wandered back to Santana. She felt so lost. She felt so torn. She felt so… incomplete. She suddenly sat straight up, guiltily getting rid of all her thoughts related to Santana. She slapped her face a little, telling herself to wake up.

_What's happening to me?_

* * *

><p>"I was told that there would be a Dr. Wayright waiting for me?" Santana said as she approached the front desk at Lima General Hospital. She silently thanked the heavens that another nurse was seated in front of her instead of the one she almost went all Lima Heights on last night. The nurse smiled sweetly and told her to wait in her parents' room, and that the doctor was on her way. Santana nodded gratefully and walked to the room she never wanted to enter again in her life.<p>

She opened the door quietly, entering the room with hopes of seeing her parents awake and well. She felt like falling, however, as she saw that nothing had changed since she first stepped in the gloomy room hours ago. Her parents were still lying on the beds helplessly. Their eyelids remained closed, but fortunately they were still breathing. She closed her eyes, and refused to open them until she could breathe normally again. Now was not the time to burst into tears like a little child again. She sat at a chair beside her mother while watching her with sad eyes.

"Uh... Miss Lopez? I'm sorry for being a little late." The doctor entered, chortling softly. The brunette suddenly jumped. The voice stringed familiar, and although she had only met the person once before, she would still be able to recognize the voice at any time.

Dr. Wayright entered the room and stopped suddenly at the sight before her. A smile then formed at her lips as she tried to recall the name of the Latina. "Santana, right?" The brunette had no reply.

Santana couldn't believe it. _She's Dr. Wayright?_

As if the raven-haired girl was reading her thoughts, she walked towards Santana. "I'm Dr. Wayright." She held out her hand like before. "Dr. Spencer Wayright."

* * *

><p><strong>Lima, OH – 2011 <strong>

"And stop putting up those posters!" Kurt screamed before walking away with Rachel, furious at Brittany.

The other day, Brittany approached Kurt and told him how she wanted to help him because he was a "unicorn". Kurt agreed, excited at the extra assistance from the Cheerio. But the opposite happened that day. As Santana was helping Brittany with the posters she made of Kurt, the boy suddenly ran to them and told the blonde to stop what she was doing, obviously infuriated.

The blonde faced Santana, who was helping her put up posters of Kurt Hummel for his campaign as president. "I failed my precious unicorn." Brittany pouted and looked down.

"No!" Santana replied, "Look, this campaign is brilliant."

"Really?"

"Completely! And if he doesn't get it, then he doesn't deserve to have you as his campaign manager. There's no one like you." Santana said, smiling at Brittany. She didn't like seeing the blonde like this. She always wanted to see Brittany smile, and that, for Santana, was always the best part of her day. Santana always thought of Brittany as the sun that lighted up everyone's day, most especially hers. So seeing her like this, she tried her best to cheer up her girl.

"You're a genius, Brittany." Santana continued, and at that point Brittany, who was looking down before, finally locked eyes with the brunette.

"You are the unicorn." Santana lovingly said. Her eyes were shining, and Brittany could see that she was trying hard not to cry. Brittany smiled in reply which made the Latina beam. As Santana was happily walking away, Brittany watched her, eyes still gazed on her girlfriend, the smile never leaving her face.

**Lima, OH – 2025 **

For some reason, Brittany went back to that memory. Santana was the one who convinced her that she would make a great president. Brittany didn't believe in herself, but Santana did. Of all people, it was the "bitchy Cheerio" who helped her see how amazing she actually was, that she herself was, indeed, a unicorn too.

Brittany was cutting sandwiches into halves when she noticed that her coffee was ready. She put the knife down, wiped her hands with a small towel, and got her cup from the machine. She added a little sugar, drank slowly, and added some more. When she felt that the taste was right, she placed her sandwiches on a plate and brought them, along with her cup of coffee, to the couch. She inhaled the aroma of her coffee before taking sip after sip. The coffee smelled of hazelnut. It was still hot. The amount of sugar in it was just right. It was perfect. Brittany sighed contentedly after finishing the whole cup when her phone vibrated.

It was a message from Spencer, and she smiled when her photo popped up. Spencer was beautiful, successful, and everything a person could ask for a partner. She had amazing green eyes, and her hair flowed perfectly on her shoulders. Her smile was definitely something. It was infectious, and maybe that's why a lot of people loved her so much. She couldn't have asked for a better girlfriend.

_Except maybe a brunette with the most beautiful brown eyes I have ever seen. The girl with the amazing voice. The Latina that could take my breath away every single time she looks at me. San—_Brittany slapped herself again, feeling a little guilty for even thinking of that. She hurriedly read the text so that no more distractions would pass by her mind.

"_Hey, babe. Guess who I found at the hospital? It's your friend Santana! :-)"_

Brittany, who was eating the last half of the sandwiches she had made, let her food drop on the floor as she sat there, motionless.

Santana was with Spencer. Spencer was with Santana. They were together. In the hospital. And to top it all off, there was a smiley at Spencer's text. _Did that mean they were okay?_

Brittany quickly grabbed her bag and got her car keys.

_This can't be good._

_Can it?_

* * *

><p>"Quinn did what?" Santana asked, unconvinced.<p>

"Seriously!" Spencer was laughing, "She got on one knee, pulled out a gardenia from I don't know where and asked Rachel to be her girlfriend at Central Park."

"Are you telling me that Lucy Quinn Fabray did that for Man Hands… in public?" Santana still wasn't completely persuaded that it was the truth.

"I swear." Spencer said, raising her right hand. "Girl scout's honor."

"Girl scout's what?" Santana replied, bursting into laughter.

As much as the Latina wanted to hate the girl, she couldn't. Spencer Wayright wasn't someone she could dislike. She was unpredictable, funny, pretty, and a damn good comforter when Santana almost cried in front of her. They were actually having a great time by the cafeteria that they didn't notice the one girl they both loved walking up to them.

"Hi."

Santana looked up from behind her, curious as to why the doctor had stopped and laughing and was just smiling there like a dork. She almost fell from her seat when she realized who it was.

"Hey, Britt." Santana smiled at her and the blonde returned it weakly. Brittany then turned to Spencer.

"So babe, why are you here?" The doctor grinned from her seat. Santana's face tensed as she heard Spencer call Brittany with a pet name. Brittany, however, can't see this as Santana's back was turned to her and replied unknowingly to Spencer. "I got your text. And I just wanted to see if San was okay."

Santana faced Brittany again and forced a smile on her face. "Yeah… I'm fine." She nervously chuckled.

"Santana," Spencer tried to add, "is doing great! We were just swapping Quinn Fabray stories and hers were way better than mine! I can't believe you never told me your Cheerio days, hon." Spencer let out a cheeky smile.

Brittany mirrored the doctor's expression and just nodded absentmindedly. She never expected to see this kind of scene. She knew Santana wasn't one to be friends with a stranger immediately, let alone Brittany's current girlfriend. Santana wasn't known to be friendly. Not at all.

Santana didn't know what to say and just gazed at her hands which where on the table. All of a sudden, Spencer spoke up.

"Hey, I've got a great idea." Santana and Brittany both looked at Spencer in anticipation.

"Santana, why don't you come over to our house for dinner tonight?" The doctor said, earning a glare from the blonde which was ignored. "Brittany always gets mad at me for being late, but at least now, in the instance that I might be late," Spencer faced Brittany, "to which I promise I will try not to be," she faced Santana again, "you would be there with her to keep her company!"

Santana gulped. She didn't know how to respond. The situation they were in was awkward enough, and that dinner could be ten times worse. She felt like she might faint, but then Spencer held her hand.

"Please?" The raven-haired doctor almost begged, "Besides, at least you could have time to catch up with Britt!" Spencer looked at Brittany, "You want to invite her, right? You've been talking about Santana ever since you had that dinner at Breadstix!" Spencer laughed as Brittany looked away.

Santana eyed Brittany curiously. Her cheeks were a little red and she was avoiding the Latina's eyes. Eventually, mocha orbs found ocean-blue ones and for a few moments they got lost in their own little world. They both felt that calm feeling they had the night before, and in their minds they thought they could be this way forever.

Spencer, somehow feeling that something was up, coughed a little to distract them from their thoughts. "So?" she waited excitedly.

"Yeah, sure." Santana answered like it was no big deal.

She could handle this. _It was just one stupid dinner, right? Besides, I've already told Brittany that I'm happy for her, and I really am. _Santana thought to herself.

_So what could go wrong?_


	9. Dancing In The Rain

"What have I gotten myself into?" Santana muttered as she slammed the door of the Lopez residence and went over to her car. She went in, and once again, slammed the door out of annoyance. "Seriously, Santana? You're having dinner with Brittany and her girlfriend?" she rolled her eyes while talking to herself. Of all the awkward situations in the world, this was definitely the last one she wanted to be in.

She started the engine, and checked herself a little on the rear-view mirror before backing out of the driveway. Her hand was clutching the steering wheel tightly as she drove on an unfamiliar route. Brittany texted her the address of the house she was now staying in, and it was someplace she had never been in before. Once she arrived at the place, she stayed for a while on her car seat and debated whether to call first or just knock on the door. Glancing at her watch and seeing that she was at least five minutes late, she decided that she would just knock since Brittany would already be expecting her. _You're Santana Lopez. You can do this._

Before Santana got out of the car, she took a few deep breaths, closed her eyes, and silently prayed that everything would work out for her. She then walked slowly towards the door, slightly dreading the possibility that Spencer would be the one to open the door and greet her. _Dinner with the happy couple. Great. Just great, Santana. What have you gotten yourself into? _She repeated the thought and sighed deeply before knocking on the door.

"I'm coming!" Santana heard behind the door and grinned widely, immediately recognizing the voice. After a short while, the door opened and revealed a blonde wearing an apron.

"Thank God, Spence, you're—" Brittany stopped, finally seeing who the visitor was. "Santana!" She smiled and wiped some sweat from her forehead. "Come in, come in!" The blonde said excitedly, motioning for Santana to enter her house. "I'm sorry for the mess. I didn't have time to clean up." Brittany said nervously, "and as you've noticed, Spencer is running late again." Santana just nodded. She didn't really know how to reply at that. "Oh! Where are my manners?" Brittany laughed. "Please, sit down while I continue cooking. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes. Is that alright?"

"Yeah, sure." The Latina said as she took a quick glance at the kitchen. It looked like a war zone and she smirked. "Do you need some help?"

Before Brittany could respond though, Santana had already gone to the kitchen. "So," the brunette put her hand on her hips and sighed deeply, "what are we making?"

"There's chicken in the oven, you can just take it out when it's ready." The blonde said, trying not to glance at Santana. Brittany was nervous. She was never this way with other people. She always had the confidence, but somehow Santana managed to make her feel weak in the knees everytime they talked. "I'll just be here… chopping the vegetables." The blonde continued, mentally slapping herself because she felt like she looked like a dork.

"Okay." Santana replied and leaned on the counter while waiting for the chicken. She watched Brittany as she cut the vegetables into pieces, and although it might have just looked ordinary to everybody else, Santana was still in awe. For her, everything that Brittany did was perfect. The blonde's hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and she was perspiring, but Santana thought that she still looked cute. Her eyes then went down to look at Brittany's hands. _God, those hands. _She wanted so desperately to touch them, to play with her fingers while talking about senseless stuff, to intertwine hers with the blonde's, and eventually pull her in for a kiss. Santana was then snapped out of her daze when she heard a voice.

"San?" Brittany looked at the brunette who seemed to space out. _Was she staring at my hands? _The blonde looked on, confused. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine!" Santana felt her cheeks redden, knowing she was just caught gazing at Brittany's perfect hands. She then saw the blonde point at something near her, and just glanced at her with the same confused expression Brittany had a while ago. It started to rain heavily, but neither seemed to notice.

Brittany answered, "San… the chicken?"

"Oh…" Santana started. "Oh! Yeah! The chicken! I'm sorry!" Brittany just chuckled as Santana bent down to open the oven. Once the Latina got the chicken, she noticed Brittany checking her out not too discreetly and smirked. "Like what you see, Pierce?"

It was Brittany's turn this time to feel cheeks flush. She gave no response to the brunette and distractedly returned to her work. She finished chopping and placed the vegetables on the plate. She brought the food to the table with Santana helping her carry some of them. As the brunette was trying to get a plate from Brittany, their hands slightly brushed that sent tingles up and down their spines.

"All set!" Brittany said cheerfully. Santana smiled at how happy the blonde was, and just as she was about to start staring again, they heard a phone ring and Brittany rushed to where the sound came from.

"Yeah? Yes, I did notice," Santana observed as Brittany turned to look at the window. "No, it's okay! You don't have to stop by, just go home to your place later on. It's nearer to the hospital anyways. And it's safer. We'll be okay here." Listening to their conversation, Santana finally realized the person on the other end of the line. "Okay, Spence. Drive safely later, okay? Bye." Brittany hang up feeling disappointed and a little mad at the same time. Nonetheless, she tried to hide it once she walked up to Santana again.

"Spencer isn't coming. I'm sorry." Brittany pouted, and Santana was on the verge of smiling at how cute the blonde looked. She restrained herself though, knowing it wasn't actually the time for laughs. Instead, she composed herself and nodded a little to tell her that it was okay.

"So… let's eat?" The blonde said, thinking she should try and cheer Santana up, then realizing she was the one who needed to smile. Santana sat across from her and they began to enjoy the meal. They fell into easy conversation and soon after, they were both laughing loudly as if they were the only people in the world. After dinner, Brittany prepared desserts and brought them to the couch where Santana was already sitting. This time, Santana wanted to ask something that should not exactly get a funny response.

"So, Britt, how are you?" Santana started, trying to tread the topic as lightly as she could.

"Good. Like I've said, I opened a dance—"

"No. I mean, _how are you?_" Santana asked again, this time emphasizing the last three words.

With a puzzled look, Brittany replied, "What do you mean, San?"

"Uhh…" The brunette trailed off, not sure how to put her thoughts into words. "You've changed so much. I mean, you still look beautiful," both of their cheeks turned into a dark shade of red, "and wonderful. I've heard you still dance well, and I don't really doubt that. I mean, when we were in high school you were the best dancer I've known. Not that you're not the best dancer I know right now. You still are. I mean—" Santana was rambling, and Brittany found it adorable. The blonde then held Santana's hand to ease her a little. "Hey," she interrupted, "…but?"

"But…" Santana continued. "You seem so… mature now."

Brittany giggled, amused at the brunette's observation. After that she turned somber, and at this Santana silently cursed herself for saying it in the first place. But she just wanted to know what happened. Santana noticed that Brittany was still her happy self, but somehow the sparkle in her eyes were gone, and since she knows the blonde more than anyone else, she knew when Brittany was sad… and she's never seen the girl this way before. Santana wanted to know why. Santana wanted to know the answer.

If Brittany was to be honest with herself, she didn't know the answer, too. She was quite aware of the fact that she _did_ grow up, but she had no idea about the cause of this. She could say that maybe it was Santana's fault, because after the brunette had left, drastic changes had happened. But she knew the Latina wasn't the one to be blamed for this, and she didn't want Santana to feel bad. A lot of things had happened in her life in the last thirteen years, and who knows if the same thing would still happen with Santana around, right? So Brittany shook her head, gathered her thoughts, and just went with a simple answer.

"Things change, San. It's been thirteen years." She sadly locked eyes with the brunette. Santana can't help but feel a little guilty. She wanted to hug her, to kiss her, to make the blonde feel that everything would be alright... But she was the one who left. She left without a goodbye. She left without telling her the reason.

Santana wanted to scream at that moment. She was in love with the girl in front of her, but it seemed that all she had given Brittany was pain. She couldn't stand seeing Brittany cry, but it was she who was providing her reasons why.

She felt so near to Brittany... but still so far.

Santana grabbed Brittany's hand as she spoke. "I'm sorry, Britt-Britt." She looked down, but then the blonde squeezed her hand gently to gain her attention again. "Hey," Brittany said as she lifted Santana's chin up to meet her eyes. "It's okay." Santana just nodded and a small smile crept across her face.

"So…" Brittany tried to change topics. "You wanna go watch a movie while eating ice cream… like old times?" She smiled at Santana, who was still feeling a little uneasy after all the seriousness.

"Sure."

"What do you want to watch?" Brittany said while standing up. Before she could walk any further, Santana grabbed her wrist. It startled the blonde, who turned around to look at Santana.

The Latina watched as the rain continued to pour down outside. Then she smirked. "How about we skip the movie and go outside?" She heard Brittany giggle again and took that as a yes.

"But San! We're gonna get sick!" Brittany shouted as she was being dragged by Santana outside.

"So what?" She stopped to face Brittany. "When's the last time you had fun in the rain?"

"Hmm…" Brittany tapped her chin, which Santana found amusing. "High school? With you. Right before graduation."

The brunette grinned, "Me too." She grasped Brittany's arm and rushed to the door. "Let's go!"

They stopped right outside the house and, hand in hand, ran to the middle of the street while screaming aloud. They jumped into huge puddles and didn't care that their clothes were soaking wet. They began to dance crazily and sing like a maniac. _I can get used to this, _Santana thought while enjoying every minute spent with the girl of her dreams. Then out of nowhere, Brittany started tickling Santana and took off. The Latina chased Brittany until she caught her and engulfed her into an embrace. After minutes of laughing under the rain, still in a tight hug, their expressions transformed into something else. Santana gazed at Brittany's eyes and felt electricity all over her body. Brown orbs then got lost into blue ones and both felt the sudden need for something more. Brittany leaned her forehead into Santana's and cupped her cheek. "Stay the night."

"What?"

"It's late and it's raining. We're soaking wet and I won't take no for an answer." Brittany explained and furrowed her eyebrows somewhat when Santana didn't respond. She continued, "I promise, no funny business. Just… stay with me." The brunette let out a smile that could brighten up the whole world and nodded, which earned Brittany's well-known mega-watt smile in return.

"Okay."

* * *

><p>AN: I just want to take up some space to thank everyone who has been reading this story. It might seem like a small number compared to others, but when I saw that this fanfic has reached 10k hits, I felt so happy that I myself could just dance in the rain at that moment. Special thanks to **MusicFlowsWithin, xxxPLLforeverxxx, be human, Vixien00, OTHangels, schuessi, Baron von Teddy, Jiamana, genetic, RiotFest, IA MA, and definitelyalopez** for the wonderful reviews, messages and suggestions! Also, I'm grateful for all the anonymous messages! I appreciate all the kind words, especially since it's the very first story I have created. I hope that you continue to enjoy this piece of work, and don't forget to leave reviews!


	10. Under the Stars

Santana Lopez was never a morning person. Everyone knew that. Once, Rachel Berry tried to wake her up to rehearse for Nationals, but because of the wrath that was Santana, all that they had accomplished that day was a dance routine that was good for only a quarter of their performance. The rest of the day was spent listening to Santana shout at the shorter brunette in a language no one could understand but could feel as the intensity of the Latina's voice earned fearful looks from the rest of the club. Since then, nobody dared to even touch a single strand of dark hair from the sleeping brunette, terrified of experiencing pandemonium early in the morning. And though high school was already a far cry from the present, nothing has changed in Santana's list of do's and don'ts.

Ten knocks. She heard them all, but threw a pillow on the fifth knock, hoping the intruder would understand and just walk away. Unfortunately for both of the people on opposite sides of the door, the knocks continued, and Santana stood up ready to give the fool a piece of her mind.

"What the fu—"

"Hey, San! I'm glad you're finally awake. I brought you some food!" Brittany greeted cheerily gesturing with her lips the tray she was holding. "I know you hate waking up in the morning, but technically it's exactly twelve in the afternoon, I made sure of that, so you can't get mad at me," the blonde continued, a little nervous about how Santana would react.

Normally, Santana couldn't care less at whatever excuse people have for waking her up, but this was Brittany, and she would always be an exception. She fully opened the door, motioning for the blonde to come in, to which she jovially obliged. Brittany laid down the tray on the messy bed, and patted the space across from her for Santana to sit on. The Latina did so, as the taller girl gave her a plate with bread, eggs, and bacon.

"Breakfast in bed!" Brittany cheered, watching happily as Santana took a bite of the bread.

"It's already twelve in the afternoon. You said so yourself," the brunette playfully replied, earning a smack on the arm from the blonde. Brittany paused, protruding her lips into a pout as if thinking deeply, and after some time just mumbled a "whatever" while grabbing the fork and getting some bacon for herself.

"Hey!" This time it was Santana's turn to slap Brittany's arm away. "This is mine!"

"Fine!" The blonde replied, crossing her arms in defeat. "But if you want some more, you're not getting any!" She stuck her tongue out, Santana mirroring the expression moments later, both of them ending up in laughs and fun conversations. This exchange of stories was paired with stolen glances, a few touches from time to time, and the ever famous butterflies in the stomach. By the time they had finished their fun chat, the food was long gone and Santana was ready to go, not wanting to overstay.

"Thank you," Santana started, earning a confused look from the woman in front of her, "for last night and today." They smiled in unison as the Latina continued, "I have to go now Britts, I still have a lot of things to do." The blonde's smile faltered only for a second, but Santana noticed it. "Let's do this again some other time?"

"Of course." Brittany nodded, standing up and pulling Santana to her. She wrapped her arms on the brunette's waist, inhaling the scent of the person she had missed so much. Her grip tightened, not willing to let go, afraid that if she did, history will repeat itself and Santana would run away again without as much as a goodbye. She buried her head into the Latina's locks, closing her eyes and just letting the silence linger in the air. "Take care, San, okay? Text me when you get home."

"I will." Santana answered, her arms locked around Brittany's neck and her face inches from the blonde's jaw. She fought the urge to kiss it, though she strongly felt the need to. She had just gotten Brittany back, and although they were just friends for now, she would settle for that. The last thing she needed was Brittany having trouble in paradise just because she couldn't control her stupid hormones.

* * *

><p>It had been two days since Brittany saw Santana last. Two and a half, to be exact. They were both too busy with their lives – Brittany with the sudden boom in her dance studio and Santana with taking care of her parents and doing a little work on the side to catch up with work in New York – that the closest they got to each other would be the occasional text asking how their day was going.<p>

To say that Brittany was happy was an understatement; ecstatic wasn't even enough of a description. Her heart burst in felicity thinking about the other night. It had been more than forty-eight hours since their last meeting, but never had the memories of the delicious dinner and the making of it, their dancing in the rain, and the "breakfast" – Brittany was still convinced it wasn't lunch because of the eggs – in bed escaped her mind since the brunette left her house.

Her body moved effortlessly to the beat of the music coming out of the stereo. Her last class had just ended, and Brittany, not yet exhausted, told her employee to get some rest and that she would be the one to close up the studio that day. She needed some alone time, and so there she was: The speakers blasted an energizing song as the blonde lost herself in the music. She never felt more alive than when she was dancing, swaying her hips in tune with the rhythm, moving her hands graciously in the air as if she were flying, a free bird exploring the world for the very first time. She was too caught up in her own movements that she didn't hear the door opening. She just continued on with her dancing, isolating herself from everything else that could have been happening around her. She poured all her emotions on her whole body as she ran, glided, jumped, and ended the song with a final twirl. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling loudly. It was then that she heard the door open and close once again, and this time she took notice of it and ran to the small receptionist area, trying to figure out who had tried to snoop around while she was in the middle of a performance. She was anticipating a small scuffle to take place since she already held on to a flashlight, the first blunt object she had gotten her hands on to. Instead she was met by an empty lobby with nothing but a rose on the table. She dropped her flashlight and took the flower, smelling it before reading the note and grinning like an idiot at the message written:

_Hey Britts! Sorry, I couldn't talk much these days. Promise I'll make it up to you! Tomorrow night? Let me know. xx Santana_

Five sentences from a certain brunette had already made Brittany's day. She felt like a high school girl being asked out by the most popular guy in school, and it made her heart beat fast again, like she was doing another impromptu performance like a while ago. She was about to fold the note and put it in her pocket when she noticed another message written at the back. The handwriting was still Santana's, although a little messier that the letters were more like lines connected to each other.

_After all these years, you're still the most amazing dancer I have ever met._

* * *

><p>"So, where are we headed?" Brittany jumped up and down on her seat. She couldn't hide the excitement in her. Santana was driving her a little outside of Lima, and she was curious as to where the Latina had thought of going to.<p>

"You've asked that five times already, Britt-Britt."

"And in those five times, you never answered me. So where are we headed?" Brittany faced the brunette, her mega-watt smile showing. When Santana stole a glance her way, she couldn't help but look again just to see the face that could light up the whole world.

"You'll see." Santana tightened her grip on the wheel. They were near. Brittany felt the road elevating as they went further into a small forest. The car ascended for a short while until Santana finally stopped the engine and got out. Brittany did the same and followed Santana.

"Are we there yet?" The blonde asked, now a little confused more than excited. Santana didn't respond and instead walked more quickly until they reached the top of a small hill.

"We're here." Santana stated, smiling widely at the scene that was Brittany's amazement.

The hill wasn't that much work to climb, but you could see a part of Lima from there. Brittany watched in awe at the sight. There were still a lot of lights on in different buildings high and low. She spotted some children playing although they were a bit miniscule. Cars were still seen at every corner as they zoomed past houses and into their desired destinations. Everyone was living their lives, and from the position Brittany and Santana were in, they were a part of those lives all at the same time.

"San, this is…" Brittany trailed on, not finding the words that could describe the perfect scenery in front of her.

"Amazing. I know." Santana said while sitting down on the grass and pulling Brittany down beside her.

"How did you find out about this place?"

"When we were in high school, I always go here to think. I never really told anyone about this. I just wanted to have my own place, you know? Where I could think about teenage shit and pour my heart out to inanimate objects while watching lives of many people pass by." Santana patted the grass between them. "This place is one I also call my home. This has seen a lot of sides of me. I just thought that it would be nice to share this with you." She smiled, resting her hands on one of Brittany's hands and lacing their fingers together.

"Thank you, Santana." Brittany's eyes met with Santana's while she continued. "For trusting me."

"Always." It was just one word, and yet so powerful.

Brushing off the sudden tension, both girls started talking about lighter topics, just like in every other conversation they've had. Brittany told her stories about her clients in the dance studio, making the Latina laugh at her descriptions of each one. Santana, on the other hand, shared that her parents were still unconscious, but according to "the doctor", as Santana had referred Spencer, they were showing good signs and would hopefully wake up within the week. Again, they felt comfortable in each other and eventually ended up sitting so close with Brittany laying her head on the brunette's shoulder. Once silence fell on them, Santana took hold of Brittany's hand as she spoke rather anxiously.

"I'm sorry I left."

This got the attention of the blonde, who was already starting to fall asleep on the Latina's shoulder. She didn't move from her position, though, not wanting the comfort of being in Santana's arms gone.

"What?"

"After graduation. I'm sorry I left you."

Brittany squeezed Santana's hand in reply, urging her to continue.

"I'm sorry I never said goodbye… I don't know what got into me, Britt. I shouldn't have left you. You were my best friend. I should've known better. It's just that… We wanted different things. I wanted to go to New York; you wanted to stay here in Lima. I told myself that I would just be in New York to study, and go back to you once I graduated, but then I heard how great you were doing here, that you were finally reaching your dreams, with performances and teaching dance lessons. I just thought that if I came back and asked you to go with me to New York, you'd be giving up a lot." This time, Brittany shifted her position so she was now facing Santana. "If I asked you to come with me, you'd just be miserable, Britt. I didn't want that. I would never want that."

"San…"

"I'm sorry."

Tears were threatening to fall down the brunette's eyes, and so Brittany lifted Santana's chin up to gain her attention. "San." She repeated, this time more firmly. "It's alright. I forgive you." Brittany was about to cry as well, but she opted to remain calm and strong for both of them. She smiled a little at the Latina, to which Santana reciprocated. She then wrapped her arms around the shorter girl and held her like that for a long time.

After a few moments of stillness, Santana got out of the embrace and smiled at Brittany. Here she was, at the place she could express her every emotion on, and that she did. She was genuinely happy that she had finally told Brittany the truth. A feeling of relief mixed with tranquillity washed over her as she felt a heavy weight lifted off her chest. They went back to their original positions, Brittany leaning against Santana's shoulder, and both of them fell again in a comfortable silence.

Brittany was already about to fall asleep as Santana spoke up.

"Hey Britt?"

"Yeah?"

"Is it too late?"

"For what?"

Santana paused for a while, gathering her thoughts. This was too much in one night, but she knew she had to get it all out. She was about to proceed when she felt Brittany's breath evening. She chanced a quick look into the blonde and realized that Brittany had fallen asleep on her shoulder. She smiled, moving into a more convenient position so that she could hold Brittany in her arms. She pushed back some blonde locks on the girl's ear when she continued on with her question.

"Is it too late to get you back?"

* * *

><p>AN: Hello everyone! I am very sorry for the long wait for an update! I've been too busy with a lot of stuff these past few weeks and I only got the chance now to write a new chapter. Anyway, thank you **be human, OTHangels, mynameischarla, HauntedByYou31, GL, genetic, asdf, JohnDo, Didine, and TinyFi311** for the reviews! I appreciate them all. Also thanks to those who have included this story in their Story Alerts and Favorites! I hope I don't disappoint on this one. Also, I may have to say sorry in advance if I fail to write a chapter soon. In a few hours I will be on an airplane to Los Angeles for a vacation and who knows when I would have the time to spend a lot of hours in front of a computer. Just because I want to share this with you guys, I will be taking a tour on Paramount Studios and since it's their last week on set, I really wish I would be able to see them! Include me in your prayers! Haha. Again, thanks everyone! I hope you continue to read this story.


	11. Fights and Victories

"Who likes hospitals anyway?"Santana muttered as she brushed past different people in scrubs either running briskly or walking slowly with only one eye open. _Thank God I didn't become a doctor. _She scoffed, opening the door of the now-familiar room.

She wasn't expecting anything new, and so she wasn't really surprised when she was greeted with silence and a gloomy atmosphere. Her parents had been unconscious for over a week already, and as much as she hated to admit it, she was beginning to lose hope in them ever returning. She took her usual spot by her mother's bed, just watching them while tears were once again threatening to escape her very tired eyes.

_Why did this have to happen? _She asked herself for the nth time as she looked with sorrow at her mother and father in that helpless state. She couldn't help but feel guilty, that if she had just spent her evening with them at home rather than going to their high school reunion, they wouldn't plan on going out to a restaurant and get into an accident. She buried her head in her hands, squeezing her eyes shut and constantly wishing that this was just another one of her nightmares.

"They will get better, you know. I'm positive."

Santana didn't realize that there was another person in the room, so she jumped a little when the doctor spoke. "Their vitals are stable, and they're showing good signs. They could wake up tomorrow, the next day... or even today." Spencer approached the sitting brunette, taking only small steps at a time. Santana could only smile in return. She was still shocked about the sudden presence, as well as happy that her parents are going to be okay.

The raven-haired girl took a seat next to Santana. "I'm sorry for skipping dinner the other night," Spencer sighed while shaking her head, "Brittany got a little upset when I called her then to say that I wouldn't make it."

"It's fine," the Latina assured. "Maybe we can do it again next time. And Britts is a very forgiving person. I'm sure she has forgotten about it by now." Santana couldn't hide the grin that spread on her face. "She's an amazing person." When she was met with silence, she added while looking away, "You're very lucky to have her."

"Yeah." Spencer agreed, now facing the brunette. "She never really talked about you, but you seem really good friends," the doctor continued, a little hesitant but still carried on with the question she had actually been dying to ask for days now. "How close were you two?" The doctor seemed really curious, and Santana felt nervous. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not sure about how to answer a question like that by Brittany's girlfriend. _What the hell would I answer to that? _She thought to herself. _Brittany is my one true love? We were just friends? Sex is not dating?_

"I.. uhh—"

"Hija?"

Both girls shot up from their seats and turned their attention to the owner of the voice. "Hija? Is that you, Santana?"

Santana stayed rooted to her spot. She couldn't process what was happening. Just a few minutes ago, Spencer was asking about her relationship with Brittany, and now, her father was speaking to her, and this wasn't just some dream. Manuel Lopez had woken up and was now looking straight into his child's eyes. She couldn't believe it.

"Santana, are you okay?" Manuel turned to look at Spencer for the first time. He studied his surroundings, and because he was someone who works in a place like this, he instantly knew where he was. "Are you a doctor?" When he got a nod as a reply, he asked with a worried look. "Is she okay?" Manuel asked, pointing to his daughter.

Spencer let out a light chuckle. "I believe she is. She's just a little surprised that you're now awake."

"What happened?"

"You got into a car accident, Papi. You and Mama." Santana answered, finally snapping out of her haze and taking her father's hand into hers with sad eyes. "I've missed you. So so much."

"I'm here now, mija. Don't worry." Manuel cupped her cheek and wiped the tears that started to fall down. When Santana's sobs had stopped, he turned his gaze at the bed beside him and then it was his turn to cry. "Gabriela…" he reached out, but not enough to touch his wife.

Santana held on to his hand once more and squeezed it. "She's gonna be okay." She faced the doctor. "Dr. Wayright?" Spencer nodded again whilst smiling. "It might take a few more days, but she is getting better each day, and like what I told your daughter before you woke up, that is a very good sign that she will open her eyes any day now."

The brunette lawyer mouthed a thank you to Spencer and turned to her father. "See? She is getting better each day," she said, repeating the doctor's words. Manuel still had tears in his eyes and his mind was elsewhere, but he was still able to thank Spencer, to which the raven-haired girl gave another nod. She then grabbed her stuff and walked to Santana and her father.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave for now and attend to more patients. If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me, Mr. Lopez. Santana, he will need to stay for a few minutes just to make sure that it's okay for you two to go. Someone will be here to run some tests on him. Once you are both ready, just sign some papers outside and you could both leave and get more sleep. This has been an overwhelming day for all of us." Spencer smiled and exited the room.

"Santana…" her father started.

"Everything is going to be alright. I promise. Now go pass all those tests and head home so I could cook us both a delicious meal. Hospital food sucks."

* * *

><p>"Pancakes? That is your definition of a delicious meal?"<p>

"Pancakes _with strawberries._" Santana emphasized.

"Dios mio, Santana!"

"Fine." She stood up from her seat and grabbed something from the cabinet. "Have some more syrup."

"I had been asleep for days and this is how you welcome me back?"

"What?" The Latina replied, annoyed. "Pancakes are delicious! If you wanted blueberries, you could have just said so."

"I don't want pancakes, mija. I want real food."

"This is real food, Papi."

"Santana." Manuel started.

"Why don't you cook whatever you want? Pancakes are enough for me."

"Don't you remember what Dr. Wayright said? I should not engage in any exhausting activites."

"Cooking is not an exhausting activity!"

"It is, also arguing with my stubborn daughter. The doctor told you to take care of me, right? That means not causing stress to your father. Now get up and cook actual food."

"Fine," Santana grumbled, walking to the kitchen. Before Manuel could take another bite, however, Santana came back and snatched his plate away. "No pancakes for you. That's not real food," she smirked, earning a playful glare from her father, who followed her back to the kitchen.

"No paella for you, Santanita. Until your next visit." This time it was Manuel who smirked and Santana who glared.

"That's not fair."

"Yes it is. Now don't let me disturb you and your wonderful cooking. I'm starving."

Before Santana could let out a witty remark, the phone rang and Manuel rushed to get it. "Hello? No, this is Manuel Lopez." Santana was trying to reach something from a cupboard when she heard it. "Gabriela is still there, unfortunately. Anyway, enough with the sad news. How have you been doing, Brittany?" Santana almost slipped on the floor when she realized Brittany was on the other end of the line. She ran to the living room to find Manuel still on the phone, laughing about something the blonde had probably said. He saw Santana and gave her an evil smile, not giving the phone to her. "Yeah. The doctor told me to rest, but Santana here is giving me a hard time. Can you talk some sense into my little girl?" Santana grabbed the phone hastily before her father could say anything that could embarrass her more. She heard Brittany's voice and immediately felt relaxed.

"..she's still stubborn, isn't she?"

"Who is?"

"Santana?"

"Hey Britt."

"Hey! Where's your dad?"

"Going to the kitchen." She gave a look to her father who was still on the couch, obviously listening to their conversation. Manuel laughed, but then got up and followed his daughter's wish. "So what was that about _her _being stubborn?" Santana smirked.

"Uhh… no… your father… it was noth—"

"Relax, Britt. I was just kidding. Why did you call?"

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to join me for breakfast. But I guess you're busy, so maybe another time?"

"Oh, sorry B. Dad just got home and I don't think I can leave him alone in the house." Santana then whispered, "He's an old man."

"I heard that!" Manuel shouted, and both girls just laughed.

"How is he?" Brittany asked in between soft giggles.

"He's fine so far. A little bit grumpy and tired, but I guess he just needs some sleep."

"And you?"

"Huh?"

"How are you, San? You should go get some sleep too."

"Maybe some other time." Brittany heard the brunette sigh on the phone. "Mama is—"

"—going to wake up, and you need to rest."

"Brittany—"

"If you don't, I'm gonna get mad at you." Santana could almost feel the blonde pout on the other line.

"But—"

"No, San."

"Fine." She grumbled. "Why do the people I love keep on ordering me around?" Santana muttered to herself, but then widened her eyes in shock after realizing what she had just said. _Fuck. Did I just say "people I love"? Did Brittany hear it?_

"What?"

_Shit. _"Oh, uhh.. nothing."

"Oh."

"Can I call you later, Britt? I think my father might break down any minute now. He's acts like a baby when he's hungry."

"Okay. But San?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of yourself, okay? If you don't, I just might go there and take care of you myself."

_I'd like that. _"I will. Promise."

"Good. Bye, San. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah. Take care of yourself too, B. Bye."

Once Santana hung up, she hurried into the kitchen to see her father looking at her with a wide grin. Confusion graced her features as she approached the still smiling man. She could see that he was trying not to laugh.

"What now, Papi?"

"People you love, huh?" Manuel wiggled his eyebrows, the grin never leaving his face.

_Was it really that loud? _"That was nothing," the Latina growled, turning her back to her father, trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

"That wasn't nothing, Santana," her father chuckled, "and don't you dare start an argument with me again. That was not nothing. You and I both know that."

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Fine."

Her father froze. "Fine?"

"What? I said 'fine'. F-I-N-E." Santana faced her father, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Manuel stood up and started helping her daughter while laughing to himself.

"What?" The brunette stopped what she was doing and frowned at the man.

"Nothing." Manuel shook his head with a small smile. "I can't remember the last time you didn't put up a fight when we have a conversation." He avoided his daughter's questioning gaze and then turned serious all of a sudden. "Be careful, Santana. Alright?"

"What?" Santana repeated. At the moment, "what" was probably the only word that could come out of the brunette's lips. She was still trying to understand what her father was really trying to tell her.

"I know what you and Brittany had was special, and somehow, I still believe it always will be. But it's been thirteen years, hija. You have different lives now, and we both know that the girl has apparently moved on. I just don't want you to get hurt in the end because of something you've already known from the start but chose to ignore. Brittany has someone else."

"I know, Papi. But it's not like they're married. And I can wait," Santana said. She looked away for a while and softly spoke. "I will wait forever if I have to." Manuel could see the love in his daughter's eyes. He had never seen Santana that way when she was with other people. It had always been reserved for a certain blonde. Because of that, he realized that after so many years, his little Santana was still in love with Brittany Pierce. She was the love of her life. His heart warmed at the thought of his daughter finally finding her missing piece for the second time. It reminded him of his wife Gabriela, and how she is, like Brittany to Santana, his soulmate. Manuel kissed his daughter's cheek and whispered, "And don't do anything stupid, Santanita. You are well known in this house for that. Don't screw this up." Santana slapped his arm, but both erupted in laughter moments later.

"You really love her, don't you?"

Santana stopped laughing and looked at her father straight in the eye. She could tell that he was very happy and worried at the same time. She linked her arms in his and shyly nodded, letting a small smile show that was not left unseen by Manuel. "I do."

* * *

><p>AN: One month. It has been one month since I last updated. I'm very sorry for that. I stayed in Los Angeles for three weeks, and I had a lot of stuff to accomplish when I got back. I pray that you guys will like this chapter! I will try my best to update sooner! Thank you so much to **be human, OTHangels, msallieryan, JohnDo, Di7fan, UnePetiteCourge,** **and CarrionRouge** for the beautiful reviews that continue to inspire me to write more! I would also like to extend my gratitude to all those who have read, favorited, and included this story in their Story Alerts. I really wish I won't disappoint! Oh, and the Glee finale was heartbreaking. I don't want to say more because I might cry again. Haha! Hope many of you still enjoy my fanfic. And for those who haven't read the oneshot I made yet, it's called "What Are You Afraid Of?" Check it out sometime. :-)


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